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Free eBook readers

You need an eBook reader to view these CQ-DATV magazines. Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/download) is a free multi-platform reader that will not only help you manage these eBook files, but will also enable them to be read on a PC in Windows, Mac or Linux formats. (If you find calibre useful, then please consider making a contribution)

For the PDF versions then the Adobe reader is perhaps the most well known

A simple milti-platform reader (Platforms: Win32, Linux, Android) is CoolReader http://sourceforge.net/projects/crengine/files/ This is small and fast.

My personal favourite for Android devices is the UB reader. (http://www.ubreader.com/download.html)

Both the Chrome and Firefox web browsers have ePub reader plug-ins available, so you can use your browser to read our publications.

Also, there is a very nice web based ePub reader available. Point you browser at www.magicscroll.net/

New: Google play books now lets you upload ePub books to your library so you can then read them in your web browser with no extra software required. Also on mobile devices with their app. See https://play.google.com/books

Google Play Books updated with new design, PDF and EPUB uploading.

Keep up to 1,000 of your own PDF and EPUB files in the cloud for free

The big back-end feature that was enabled by this update is user uploads, which lets you now upload from the web (at play.google.com/books/uploads) or directly from Google Drive any PDF or EPUB document of your choice. Those documents uploaded on the web are then available for sync and download on your phone or tablet to read at any time. Users can store up to 1,000 documents at once with the service, and uploaded documents have their page position, bookmarks and notes completely synced across devices.

It features a new 'Read Aloud' function. The new feature allows for the listening of most flowing text books, and while it seems to do a pretty good job, it's not going to replace audiobooks anytime soon. Imagine sitting down to listen to your sat-nav read you a book and you've pretty much got the right idea.

Reading aloud isn't the only new addition. Pinch to zoom and double tap to zoom now works in all books, all text editing features are available for notes, and personalized recommendations are shown to you at the end of your library and at the end of a book.

Play Books may not be on of the fanciest or most talked-about Google apps today, but these are huge improvements in usability that make the entire Android platform (and Google ecosystem) more compelling.

Note that Apple products (iPad, iPhone etc) come supplied with a very good ePub reader called iBooks.

Ken, W6HHC, reports that he obtains best reading of CQ-DATV on an iPad or iPhone using the iBook ePub reader app in the "scroll mode". Although the iBooks user manual never mentions it, there is a "scroll" mode buried under the "font settings icon" in iBooks reader. Open the icon - select "themes" - select the "slide" setting.

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